The Pearl of Konoha
by The Smiling Angel
Summary: The Curse of Hatred. The living nightmare of death, destruction, and despair. Only the light of the Will of Fire can overcome the darkness. PART ONE: CURSE OF HATRED


**The Pearl of Konoha**

**A/N: Hi! Thanks for reading my story! This is a rewrite of my old story, "Fox's Tears." It is still largely the same, but written from multiple perspectives instead of just Shinju's (my OC). Since "Fox's Tears" only had two published chapters, the differences in this story will not be apparent. Enjoy!**

**Part 1: Curse of Hatred**

**Chapter 1: The Smiling Stars**

Uchiha Kagami was nervous. He, the trusted subordinate of the late Second Hokage and nakama of the Third Hokage; he, who wielded the legendary Sharingan and won many victories on the battlefield; he, whose name is both feared and respected by shinobi across the nations, was utterly terrified.

His 2-year-old son, who resembled Kagami to the point of utter ridiculousness, tottered around the living room on his tiny feet. Shisui smiled a toothy grin when he saw his reflection on the TV screen and cooed something in his unintelligible baby language that only Kagami's wife could understand. Kagami resisted the urge to hide behind the red flowered wall, but he was still close to running away.

'This was a bad idea,' he thought to himself. Jonin-level shinobi he could handle. S-rank missions he could accomplish. The task of babysitting his toddler son was impossible. Kagami backed away from Shisui, who decided to explore the rest of the living room, and bumped into the wall with his back. He reached out his hand and caught the falling emblem of the Uchiha Clan before it could crash onto the floor and then he would have to listen to his wife scold him again.

"You don't look so good," commented Akimichi Torifu, who had somehow entered the house while Kagami was preoccupied with trying to figure out his son's next move. Kagami spared his old nakama a glance before returning his attention to the situation at hand. He tossed the emblem onto a nearby couch and motioned for Torifu to join him. The large man did not move from his position near the door.

"As insightful as always," commented Kagami with a wry smile. He felt torn when Shisui faced him and smiled a smile that was not so different from his own. On one hand, he wanted to play with his son. On the other, he wanted to dump Shisui with Torifu. "Any suggestions, old friend, or will you just stand there and leave me to fend for myself?"

"I came over for dinner and because you asked for help, but I didn't think you would be this bad," grunted Torifu. "He's a toddler, for crying out loud! You're treating him like an enemy shinobi, you idiot."

Kagami decided not to waste his chakra and blast Torifu with a quick Fire Release Technique and instead raised his hands when Shisui approached him with cute giggles that all toddlers possessed. The little boy wore a miniature version of the Uchiha Clan uniform, which Kagami's wife made herself, though the symbol was missing on the back. A bib with the face of a cartoon monkey dealt with Shisui's drool and escaped pieces of rice that Kagami almost flung at him when he tried to feed him lunch (it didn't work out well).

"This is completely out of context, but wouldn't you name that bib 'Sarutobi'?" asked Kagami. "I'm almost tempted to send that to Hiruzen as a present." Torifu just sighed and shook his head, unable to watch his friend run away from his son again.

"For Shisui's sake, I'll go find a babysitter," he said, preparing to leave when Kagami waved his hand quickly.

"I appreciate the thought, but Sanae is going to kill me!" he cried. "She wanted me to babysit Shisui and spend some 'good quality time' with him."

Torifu raised an eyebrow. "It's not working."

Kagami sighed. "I know it's not working. Hence the running away." He glanced at his friend and hoped the frustration and fear he was feeling at the moment was evident on his face. Maybe his nakama will take pity on him. "I don't know, Torifu. I want to take care of Shisui like any good father would, but. . . I don't know. I feel like I might accidentally hurt him. You know, drop him on the floor or use a Fire Release Technique."

Torifu had the good conscious to, at least, look as if he understood his feelings, though Kagami knew a rebuttal was approaching, as fast as Shisui was walking (which was pretty fast). "You're not clumsy enough to drop Shisui on the floor, and even if you did, your reflexes will catch him mid-air. You still need to weave signs to use a Fire Release Technique. The most you can do is accidentally using too much physical strength, but that is not a problem for you." Kagami huffed in annoyance at Torifu's last insult, but his shoulders slouched in defeat. His 2-year-old son defeated him.

"You're right," conceded Kagami before scowling. "Except for the last part." Torifu chuckled, a rare sight and sound for the unusually serious Akimichi clan member, and nodded to Shisui, the source of Kagami's fear and pride.

"Try picking him up for starters," he suggested. "Pick him up underneath his armpits, put one arm underneath his bottom for support, and the other arm around his back." Kagami frowned and considered using his Sharingan to copy what Torifu just said, but then remembered the dojutsu will only copy jutsu. Damn it.

"You don't think there's a jutsu that does what you just said, huh, Torifu?" asked Kagami in a weak voice. Torifu just shook his head at the absurd question. Kagami stretched his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. "I may just invent a ninjutsu that does that."

"Just be thankful I'm the only one who has seen this," said Torifu with a sigh. "If people found out you're scared of a 2-year-old boy, you'll be taken out of the Bingo Book and challenged by genin left and right."

Kagami laughed despite himself. "Ah, well, that's not much compared to the "cool" image I probably lost after becoming a dad at my old age."

"If 40 is old, then I'm ancient," retorted Torifu. "At least you've settled down, with a young wife of all people." Kagami chuckled as he bent down on his knees. He put on his brave face (which wasn't all that brave, really) and held out his arms to Shisui. Kagami swore a look of surprise passed over his son's features, but the cutest smile he had ever seen quickly appeared on Shisui's face. The baby cooed and stumbled over to Kagami.

"Torifu, Torifu, he's actually walking towards me!" said Kagami, whose voice became high pitched at the last word. He cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"Yes, well, you're not a stranger," Torifu replied.

Kagami felt his arms tremble as Shisui took another step towards him. He briefly thought of standing up and letting Torifu find a babysitter, but his wife's words from earlier stopped him. _"Shisui really misses his dad."_ Kagami shut his eyes and saw fleeting images of terrible accidents happening. Dropping Shisui on the floor. Standing idly as his son choked on something. Watching as an enemy shinobi took his vengeance. . .

Kagami's eyes flew open when he felt a small bundle collide with his chest. He almost fell backwards when he saw Shisui holding onto the front of his jacket. The toddler looked up at him with his big, round eyes and long eyelashes. Kagami's heart fluttered when he looked into the eyes that bore stark resemblance to his own.

"Da-bu-ga-ma," said Shisui with a smile.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, you're right," replied Kagami, though he had no idea what Shisui just said. He gingerly wrapped his arm around his son, but his eyes widened when he saw the pieces of rice stuck to his clothes. Kagami regretted feeding his son so terribly and cringed when he held Shisui close to him. The feeling of disgust soon disappeared, however, when he felt Shisui lean his little head against his chest. Kagami felt complete. This feeling of holding his son, his own flesh and blood, was new to him, yet, he admitted he was more than willing to get used to it.

"Don't tell me this is your first time holding Shisui," said Torifu.

"I won't say anything then," replied Kagami with a sheepish smile. He raised his other arm and patted Shisui's head. The boy's hair was slightly curly and unkempt. It seemed like Sanae wanted even Shisui's hair to look like Kagami's.

"Consider retiring, Kagami," said Torifu, who sat down on a cushion lying on the floor. He propped up his arm on the wooden table next to him and leaned his head on his hand. "You've served the village for almost 30 years."

"There are older shinobi who still work," replied Kagami.

"But you've worked longer than them," said Torifu. "Not to mention, harder. It doesn't seem right that you would finally meet your firstborn son a year after he was born. It's not as if there is a war going on. Hiruzen is working you to the bone all because you don't have the guts to turn down missions he gives you."

Kagami glanced at his friend. "I am a jonin. I can't refuse missions the Hokage gives me."

Torifu scoffed and shook his head. "Such loyalty will only land you in trouble."

"It's already bothering my clan," replied Kagami with a grim smile. He hesitated before wrapping both of his arms around Shisui. The toddler looked up at his father as Kagami picked him up into his arms. It was surprisingly easier than it looked, though panic shot through Kagami's heart when Shisui slightly slipped as he tried to move his arm to support the boy's bottom. Kagami gritted his teeth and struggled to hold his son properly (and comfortably once that was accomplished).

"You're strangling Shisui," commented Torifu. Kagami wanted to glare at his friend, but decided the possibility of dropping his son on the floor needed his attention more. Even Shisui seemed puzzled by his father's inability to hold him securely, and Kagami sighed. How did his wife do it? Step by small step, Kagami walked over to the table where Torifu sat and bent his knees low.

"What are you doing?" asked Torifu.

"If I bend my knees low, then Shisui won't fall as far to the floor," replied Kagami as he inched over to his friend. Shisui whined a protest of his own. "Just in case I drop him."

Torifu stared at him. "Why do people call you a genius from the Uchiha Clan again?"

"Because I am?" offered Kagami with a tight smile as he finally made it to the table. He felt a drop of sweat run down his neck and wondered how a tiny toddler could make him more stressed and frightened than an S-rank missing-nin he frequently encountered (and executed) on his missions. Kagami let out a sigh of relief once he sat down on the floor, and even Shisui looked relieved as his father held him comfortably in his lap. "Now this I can do." Kagami wrapped his arms around Shisui, and the toddler stretched out his small, chubby hand to play with a fan on the table. He smacked it against the wooden surface and gurgled happily at the noise it made.

"Anyways, what I was saying before," said Kagami. "My clan has mixed feelings for me. On one hand, I'm their link to the higher-ups in Konoha. You know—nakama of the Third Hokage and a high-ranking jonin. It's not as if the Konoha Military Police Force are on best terms with the elders of the village, either. Hiruzen wants to trust us; the others, not so much. If I retire now, the relationship between my clan and the rest of the village may waver because there is no one else from the Uchiha Clan to take my place. We're either in the Police Force or the ANBU Black Ops."

Kagami winced as Shisui slammed the fan against the table particularly loudly, but the baby's delighted laughter prevented the shinobi from stopping him. "On the other," he continued, "my clan dislikes the fact I have a good relationship with the rest of the village. The other day, they accused me of siding with Hiruzen on all matters. They finally shut up when I told them I side with what I believe is right. My clan's been getting worse and worse lately. It's starting to affect us, Torifu. The one thing the Second Hokage feared the most. The Curse of Hatred."

"I thought that was only a problem with the Sharingan," said Torifu with a puzzled expression on his face. "To my knowledge, there are only a few people in your clan who has those eyes."

"It's in our blood," replied Kagami. "The Sharingan is always there with us. It's just a matter of awakening it. As long as we are of the Uchiha blood, the Curse of Hatred will always be there."

"You have the Sharingan, yet you're not subject to the Curse." Torifu narrowed his eyes. "Or are you?"

Kagami chuckled. "No. No, I'm not. Why else did the Second Hokage trust me? He, who was wary of my clan until the day he died, made me his subordinate. I bear no hard feelings against anyone as long as I can help it. I cannot speak otherwise for the members of my clan."

"I think you should retire, Kagami," said Torifu. "You can't keep acting as the mediator between the village and the Uchiha Clan. If something bad happens, you'll be held responsible. Think about your wife and children. I think it's better to have a good relationship with your clan. They're the ones you'll be spending the rest of your life with. Hiruzen will understand, and it might force Fugaku to work with the village more often."

"I don't think it's a good thing, though," replied Kagami with a sigh, "forcing a relationship between the village elders and my clan that may become unhealthy later on. There's a lack of trust in that bond, and I don't know how to fix it. We don't trust them. They don't trust us. We're getting nowhere in this silent feud."

"There's something wrong with this generation of shinobi," continued Kagami. "Perhaps we have seen too much of war and bloodshed."

"And Hiruzen is doing a poor job of exercising control over Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu," added Torifu with an edge of distaste in his voice. "He is wavering in his resolve to keep the order in his village."

"Eh, don't be so harsh on him," chided Kagami. "The position of Hokage is difficult. Sometimes Hiruzen has to adopt the utilitarian ways of Homura and Koharu to keep the peace within the village. He rarely has the option of doing what he believes is right. Don't tell anyone else, but Hiruzen has been looking for a potential Fourth Hokage. Someone young and passionate, who is willing to do what he cannot. His old friendship with Homura and Koharu prevents him from standing against them firmly."

"A Fourth Hokage?" repeated Torifu with renewed interest. "Who is Hiruzen thinking of?"

Kagami shook his head as Shisui continued hitting the fan against the side of the table. "I don't know. Either he doesn't want to tell me, or he doesn't know himself, yet. It is a hard decision. If he chooses the wrong person, Konoha will be ruined at this stage of the decay."

"Then that means Hiruzen is retiring," said Torifu with a raised eyebrow. "These are truly peaceful times if the Hokage can meet his end in retirement instead of the battlefield. Look at the first two Hokage. They both died in battle."

Kagami cringed as Shisui smacked his hand with the fan. "You're right about that. But it's a good thing, I guess. Hiruzen deserves all the peace he wants after spending most of his life as the leader of Konoha. I just hope he chooses the right person."

"We all hope for that," said Torifu.

Shisui dropped the fan on the floor. He made noises of discontent, but soon entertained himself with the cuff of his father's sleeve. Kagami looked down at his son, a small smile on his face, before he glanced at Torifu. "Oh, right. Why'd you come over my house today?"

"Don't tell me you forgot," replied Torifu with a sigh. "You invited me over for dinner. Sanae-san said as much."

"That's right!" said Kagami. He offered his friend a sincere grin. "Sorry. This little boy makes me forget everything." Kagami placed his hand on Shisui's head. "Sanae went grocery shopping with our daughter. They should be home soon."

"You must be happy, Kagami," said Torifu. "You finally got the daughter you always wanted."

Kagami scowled at his friend and motioned towards Shisui. "Don't say that in front of him. I love both of my children equally." Torifu chuckled and shook his head.

"Whatever. I'm hungry. You got anything to eat?" he asked. Kagami looked around his nicely furnished house. He blocked off the paths to the kitchen, the hallways, and the door in order to prevent Shisui from running away, in case he wasn't paying attention. Kagami pointed to Shisui's colorful bib, assorted with all types of goodies.

"There's Shisui's leftover rice," he offered. "It's a bit messy, though." Kagami shared a laugh with his son as Torifu glared at him.

"Very funny," he muttered when the front door slid open.

"We're home," called out Sanae. A smile appeared on Kagami's face, though it disappeared when he looked down at Shisui. What was he going to do with his son? "Why's the entrance blocked off? Kagami?"

"Oh, sorry!" replied Kagami. He placed his hands underneath Shisui's arms, but couldn't lift him up at all. His muscles tightened with anxiety and refused to budge, and Torifu, noticing his friend's predicament, stood up from his seat and made his way to the front door. Kagami flashed him a grateful smile and heard his wife and Torifu exchange greetings. Sanae appeared then with a pink bundle in her arms. Kagami's heart fluttered, as it always did whenever he saw his beautiful wife.

"Why did you block off the entrance?" Uchiha Sanae asked with a small smile.

"Kagami has the worst case of parental anxiety," answered Torifu instead, carrying a bag of groceries in one hand. He placed it on the floor by the kitchen as Sanae made her way to a crib across from the TV. "He made the entire house baby-proof."

"I can see that," said Sanae with a small laugh. She kissed their daughter's forehead and placed her in the middle of the crib, draping a colorful blanket over her sleeping body.

"I'm not that bad," argued Kagami. Shisui held out his arms to his mother, who picked him up and kissed his cheek. Kagami sighed and leaned back on his hands.

"Did you dump rice all over Shisui?" asked Sanae, grimacing at her son's state.

"I was trying to feed him," answered Kagami with a sheepish smile.

"Hmm," muttered Sanae, holding Shisui close to her despite the pieces of rice everywhere.

"I don't think it's safe to leave Kagami alone with children," said Torifu, sitting back down in his seat. "He can't even hold his own son properly."

Sanae gave her husband a look that meant "_which means you'll be spending even more time with your son_" before cooing at Shisui, who played with a strand of his mother's dark hair. "Alright, I'll get him cleaned up first and then start on dinner. I hope you like udon, Torifu-san."

"Udon is one of my favorites," replied Torifu.

Kagami crossed his arms over his chest as a stern look passed over his face. "Of course, you _must _like anything my wife cooks. She is doing you a favor." He could hear Sanae snort at his remark as she disappeared down the hallway with Shisui in her arms.

"I'm not ungrateful unlike someone I know who is stingy about how many pieces of shrimp go into seafood ramen," retorted Torifu.

"I was a growing kid," replied Kagami, standing up and walking over to his daughter's crib. "And the other ramen shops gave three pieces of shrimp. That knock-off place only gave two!"

"If I don't complain about food, no one else should."

Kagami shook his head, but a smile soon spread over his face at the sight of his sleeping daughter. Uchiha Shinju was born only 3 months ago, yet she had already grown so much in his eyes. "Look at her," said Kagami, unable to hide the affection for his daughter in his voice as he leaned over the railing of her crib. "Hey, Torifu, do you think she'll look like me or Sanae?"

"I'll be honest. Whether she resembles you or Sanae-san, she'll be quite a beauty when she's older," replied Torifu. "Besides, you've always been a pretty boy. Look at your ridiculously long eyelashes."

Kagami shot his friend an irritated scowl as resembling a "pretty boy" had been one of his insecurities growing up. No one ever took him seriously as a shinobi. "I got them from my late mother, thank you very much."

"It's weird you only look like your mother since your father was what a man should look like."

"I can only laugh about it now, but when I was little my mother had to cut my hair extremely short so people wouldn't mistake me as a girl."

"Are you serious? I didn't know it was that bad."

"You're the only person who knows this so don't tell a soul."

"On my honor," replied Torifu in a mocking tone with a smirk.

Kagami reached his hand down and smoothed his finger over the smooth skin of Shinju's cheek. His hand, which had broken bones and taken many lives, felt heavy against the innocence, the fragile innocence lying before him in complete relaxation. His eyes drifted to the open window and that is when Kagami finally saw the sky.

"It's already nearing evening," he commented, his gaze fixated on the darkening red sky.

"Of course," replied Torifu. "It is winter."

"I didn't know you could see the stars before it became really dark," said Kagami with a soft sigh. He could identify a few stars, spots of white against the red and orange canvas of the sky.

"You do have a really busy life if you've never noticed that."

"I'm sure with Torifu-san here, it may be easier taking care of Shisui," said Sanae, walking into the living room. Kagami glanced at his wife and saw that she had changed Shisui's clothing and washed him, too, as he could identify the smell of the baby soap that was prominent in the bathroom. "Could you watch the children while I cook?"

"Of course," replied Torifu. "I'll make sure Kagami doesn't mess everything up."

Sanae offered him a smile and leaned down to place Shisui on the floor. She held onto him until he could stand on his own and made her way to the kitchen with the grocery bag in hand. Shisui gurgled and looked at his mother for a few more seconds before balancing on his little feet again and roaming around the room.

"Shisui, come here," said Kagami without thinking. He belatedly realized what he just said, but his son was already walking towards him, tottering. Bending down and holding out his arms, Kagami waited for Shisui, who reached him with slow but certain steps. He held onto his son with one arm and pointed up at the sky.

"Do you see that, Shisui?" Kagami asked. "Look at the stars. Aren't they so bright?" Shisui gurgled and patted his father's arms with his tiny closed fists. "I'm guessing you're agreeing with me?"

"He's saying you're crazy," translated Torifu.

"No, he's saying I'm right," retorted Kagami, ruffling his son's dark hair. "Stars. Can you say stars, Shisui? Stars."

"Sta," said Shisui, looking up at his father with a smile.

"Oh, good job, Shisui!" exclaimed Kagami. "I didn't know you could talk, yet. Can you say it again? Stars." Shisui looked away from him and pulled against his arms. The baby was clearly finished with this whole "stars" business. "I guess not." Kagami could hear Torifu chortle behind him, but he ignored his friend's teasing and patted Shisui's head.

"Sta," said Shisui suddenly. "Sta."

"You must like them, too, huh?" asked Kagami. "Your grandfather used to tell me that each of the stars in the sky were the shinobi of Konoha—each of us burning brightly with the Will of Fire inside our spirits."

Kagami held Shisui close and committed to memory the overflowing amount of love he felt in this simple embrace. "I hope your star will shine the brightest one day."


End file.
